Read Online The Secret Life of Owen Skye by Alan Cumyn - Free Book Online Page A

in time. They would have had to hang off the railway ties by their fingers, waiting while the longest train in the world roared past. They would never have been able to hang on. They would have dropped off and fallen down—Leonard first, then Owen, then Andy. Maybe the snow on the river would have been deep enough to cushion their fall but maybe they would have plummeted straight through the ice and into the freezing-cold water.
    That could have been it — the end of everything. Leonard just saved their lives!
    The bridge at the highway was farther than it looked, and the wind picked up as the daylight drained away. The snow just seemed to get deeper and deeper. The three boys hadn’t brought any food or water, had nothing to warm them up. But Andy was so concerned about getting across the river so they could get to Brinks’ barn that he just kept on going even though they were all tired and hungry and cold. At the highway bridge there was a sidewalk, but when they got to the other side they weren’t sure anymore how to get to Brinks’ farm. They could go into the woods along the river on that side and head back parallel to where they had been, or they could go on ahead and see if they could find a road. The snow had been so deep on their side of the river that they all thought finding a road would be best.
    Along the way Leonard started singing Uncle Lorne’s song from the war:
    Down in the bucket, up on the hill
They were after you then and they’re after you
still —
Hey nonny hey nonny
Hey nonny hey!
    Andy added some words:
    Caught in a spaceship, flying through the sky,
Creatures with two heads, and tin foil for eyes,
Hey nonny hey nonny
Hey nonny hey!
    Owen sang:
    Over the rail bridge, almost a train,
Fallin’ through the ice, oatmeal for brains,
Hey nonny hey nonny
Hey nonny hey!
    It was such a powerful song that it kept the boys going for hours. So it was pitch dark before they knew for sure they were exhausted, starving, near-frozen and completely lost. Leonard looked like he could hardly stand, he was so tired. The tears were freezing against his cheeks and eyelids. He was too little to be dragged across the country on such a day. They all were.
    Finally they came to a farmhouse. Leonard said, “Let’s ask here!”
    Andy said in a tired and cold little voice, “All right, if you want.”
    Leonard knocked on the door. There were lights on in the house but he knocked so softly nobody stirred inside.
    â€œHarder!” Owen said.
    Leonard knocked again. This time a big dog started growling and barking and Leonard ran back down the steps. The door opened and the dog burst out and licked Leonard’s face so hard he fell down.
    â€œRex! Down boy! Down!” came a little girl’s voice.
    They were all amazed. It was Sadie, one of the widow Foster’s girls.
    Rex was the size of Andy and Owen together, but the little girl put him on a chain like she was handling a bunny rabbit. Then she let the boys in, and they were amazed again.
    There inside the warm house, playing cribbage with the other girl Eleanor and with Mrs. Foster herself, was Uncle Lorne, looking as relaxed and easy as if he were part of the family.

Cold Feet
    ELEANOR WAS MRS. Foster’s eldest daughter. She had wild blonde curly hair that fell in front of her eyes whenever she bent forward, and long bony limbs. Sadie was the youngest, with straight reddish hair and bold blue eyes and tiny hands. She was quieter than her sister and seemed to fall in love with Owen that night the boys showed up at Mrs. Foster’s farmhouse half-frozen and lost. She made hot chocolate for him and brought him warm socks from her own drawer. She knelt close to him by the fire to help him roast his marshmallows. When she looked at him her eyes went dreamy and Owen’s neck started to roast and his hair stood up.
    That night Uncle Lorne drove the boys home. Their parents were